(Austin) At a press event at the Texas State Capitol today, Representative Rafael Anchia, Representative Mark Strama, other Legislators plus consumer, public health, and environmental groups reported on the progress and importance of passing clean power, green jobs bills in the 81st Texas State Legislature and creating additional successful energy efficiency programs for the state.

Most notably, Representative Anchia’s House
Bill 280 sets far-reaching goals for energy efficiency programs that will reduce peak electricity demand by one percent by 2016 and two percent by 2021.

Representative Rafael Anchia spoke about his bill, "This
session we're building on the foundation that Speaker Straus
created in the last session of the legislature. House Bill
280 and others this session that focus on energy efficiency
are simply about being smart in the way we use energy in
Texas."

Last Session, current Speaker Joe Straus passed major Energy Efficiency legislation that required a study, now complete, by the Texas Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The PUC study (by ITRON) showed the great potential for savings from Energy Efficiency programs in Texas. This Spring, State Legislators filed an unprecedented number of bills that would begin to fulfill the energy efficiency potential outlined by the PUC report and will take advantage of federal stimulus funding.

Legislators from the new Energy Resources Sub-Committee on Energy Efficiency & Renewables expect that House
Bill 280 by Representative Rafael Anchia will pass out of the full Committee this week.

At the same time, the Senate Business and Commerce Committee recently approved Senate
Bill 546 by Senator Fraser, which is similar to Anchia’s HB 280 and requires aggressive energy efficiency goals for utilities.

Other positive energy efficiency measures in the Texas State Legislature include:
• Senator Averitt’s Senate Bill 16 establishing new 2009 statewide building codes, energy efficient appliance standards and an Energy Star appliance rebate program;
• Representative Strama’s House Bill
1391 allows cities and counties to create a loan fund for home owners and businesses to retrofit their homes or businesses to be more energy efficient or to add renewable energy systems such as solar or geothermal power.
• Both the House and Senate versions of the State
Budget bill include $327 million in stimulus funds for weatherization programs and strict reporting requirements to make sure the money will lead to job creation, energy savings and pollution averted.

"This is a critical time to act, because Texas needs
to be prepared to receive and put to maximum good use, federal
stimulus dollars. These types of innovative energy efficiency
measures are exactly the kind of one-time stimulus expenditures
that lead to long-term savings, create jobs, and position
Texas to be the nation's leader in creating the new, green
economy," said Representative Anchia.

"Energy efficiency is one of the few tools we have
that both saves money and reduces air pollution," said Kate Robertson, Energy Efficiency Specialist with the Environmental Defense Fund. "We
applaud our Legislators for taking this opportunity to make
smart policy."

“These are the steps that our Legislators can take
for clean power, green jobs programs that are good for Texas
families,” said Cyrus Reed with the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. “Passing
new building codes, appliance standards and raising the energy
efficiency goal to one percent by the end of 2015 and two
percent by the end of 2020 will save money, create jobs and
reduce pollution.”

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For information about how Speaker Straus led on Energy Efficiency in the last session, click here –

To see what Prince
Charles said at the Texas’ Changing Economic Climate conference earlier
in the Session about the urgent need for such legislation,
click and scroll down if you want to see the video.

To see what popular blogger Van Jones of Green for All said at the Clean Power, Green Jobs conference also earlier this Session, click here –